AAA Memorial Day Weekend Travel Forecast

Americans are ready to hit the road this summer. AAA Travel

predicts a significant rebound in Memorial Day Weekend travel, with more than 37 million travelers expected to travel 50 miles or more from home. This number marks a 60 percent increase over 2020, when only 23 million Americans traveled. The holiday weekend is considered May 27–31.

Domestic travel and road trips remain the most popular types of travel for Memorial Day Weekend, with Orlando, Florida, and Las Vegas, Nevada, as the most popular destinations. Auto travel will see a 52 percent increase over 2020. An anticipated 2.5 million Americans are expected to fly to their destination, nearly six times more than in 2020.

“As more people get the COVID-19 vaccine and consumer confidence grows, Americans are demonstrating a strong desire to travel this Memorial Day,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president, AAA Travel. “This pent-up demand will result in a significant increase in Memorial Day travel, which is a strong indicator for summer, though we must all remember to continue taking important safety precautions.”

AAA Travel predicts the number of travelers could change closer to Memorial Day Weekend, depending on factors including new COVID-19 variants, progress in vaccinations and CDC recommendations. Despite the increase, the 2021 travel prediction is still 13 percent lower than 2019 travel.

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